Croatia Travel Guide

Croatia is located in Southeast Europe. With thousands of beautiful islands and its cultural heritage, it is a popular destination for travelers. Here are some of the places you must explore when you visit the country.

Zadar in Dalmatia, Croatia, is one of the best places to enjoy sightseeing in the sun. With its old churches, Roman ruins and museums, the city is ideal for walking and strolling. One of its main attractions is the Crkva Sv. Donata or St. Donat’s Church. One of the best-preserved pre-Romanesque structures in the world, this massive cylindrical building is just magnificent. And though it is no longer used as a church, it houses a museum that is worth visiting. It is also a favorite venue for music concerts due to its fine acoustics. Katedrala Sv. Stosije or St. Anastasia’s Cathedral is the largest basilica in Dalmatia. Crkva Sv. Simuna or St. Simeon’s Church, one the other hand, is the oldest of these local churches. Another reason to go to Zadar is the famous and impressive Morske orgulje or Sea Organ. It is an architectural feat that plays music through the waves of the sea and its 35 pipes that make a sound that resembles a whale song. And with some artistic visualization displayed in Pozdrav Suncu, or Greeting to the Sun, to accompany the music, it is no wonder that locals and tourists alike are drawn to this place. Walking along the majestic Dubrovnik’s Walls is revisiting an ancient city. Next to Dubrovnik is a small village named Trsteno. It is known for its arboretum, which is the oldest in this part of the world. Trsteno Arboretum attracts visitors with its breathtaking panorama of exotic trees and green shrubberies overlooking the sea.

Krka National Park is known for Skradinski buk, one of the three waterfalls that are formed by Krka River and the one that attracts most visitors. Due to its abundant vegetation and its magnificent sights, it is considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Europe. From Skradinski buk, a boat ride will take you to an island inside the park, the Visovac. It features Visovac Monastery and Eastern Orthodox Krka Monastery.

Off the Dalmatian Coast is the island of Hvar where Hvar town lies. A town of rich cultural tradition, architectural gems and even archeological sites, Hvar is a must on your list. At the center of the town is the Piazza or Pjaca, the largest square in Dalmatia. Here you can find historically and architecturally significant structures, all of them dated from the 15th to 17th centuries. St. Stephen’s Cathedral or Cathedral of Sv. Stjepan, the Arsenal, and renaissance buildings such as the Hektorovic Palace and Paladini Palace are some of them. The Loggia and Clock Tower are the only surviving remains of The Governor’s Palace.

A UNESCO World Heritage site is located between Lika-Senj County and Karlovac County. Nacionalni park Plitvicka jezera or Plitvice Lakes National Park is the largest national park in Croatia and also the oldest in all of Southeast Europe. It is world-famous for its cascading lakes that produce various lovely waterfalls and the picturesque sceneries around the area. It is one of Croatia’s finest nature’s wonders. For hikers and outdoor activities lovers, National Park Sjeverni Velebit offers the most exhilarating hiking experience. Following the Premuzic Trail will lead to a series of picture-perfect views of rocky mountains and verdant forests.

The city of Varazdin in North Croatia contains some of Croatia’s finest historical monuments and palaces. Vazardin’s Croatian National Theater is a baroque structure worth your visit. The Old Town, a Gothic structure built as a fortress, is now the home of Old Town (Stari Grad) Museum. It features the Cultural and Historic Collection. The Entomological Collection is found in The Herzer Palace, while the Gallery of Old and Contemporary Masters Art Gallery are both kept in The Sermage Palace. One of most visited museums in Zagreb is the Museum of Broken Relationships where different objects donated by people from different parts of the world are exhibited. These objects are all related to failed love stories. Mirogoj is Zagreb’s central cemetery. It is one of the most remarkable cemeteries in the world with its impressive arcades and the Church of Christ the King by Arch. H. Bolle.

In Pula stands the best preserved ancient monument in Croatia, and one of the six largest surviving Roman arenas, the Pula Arena. Its old grandeur remains, and it is now a preferred venue for concerts and theatrical performances.